Just received my 1975 Raleigh Team Pro and she is essentially as described. Couple of components are non original as expected and then just a few surprises. Wheelset is 36h Campagnolo Record hubs laced to Rigida 1320 red label rims (Clincher/schrader stem). That's ok as I'll use them on another bike of mine. I have the appropriate 32h NOS rims and once I find a real nice set of 32h Campagnolo Record hubs I'll have the wheelset built for her. Original Brooks Team Pro saddle is long gone but in the parts stash that came with the bike is an Ideale 90 steel rail saddle and a Brooks Swallow, either of which will work for now until I find the appropriate Brooks TP unit. Original 2 bolt Campagnolo SR fluted seat post is there but the cycle shop that packaged her put zigzags in it from uncareful removal - that's a shame as some of them are pretty deep and will be difficult to polish out. The "patent 75" rear 1st generation derailleur is in mint condition - not a single scrape on her! Ti spindled SR pedals have more cleat wear then expected but again, that's ok as the patina of use will be fine. Paint on the frame is near perfect. Decals are all at least very good, most are perfect and the chrome fork is perfect except one tiny flake of chrome missing but hidden behind one of the brake caliper arms. The water bottle bosses are neat - they look like shift lever braze ons with the circular part cut slightly down. That explains why the water bottle cage in the brochure seems to be slightly higher (raised) from the downtube than on most other bikes. The bike is exactly like the one pictured in my 1975 Raleigh brochure except she is without black outlining of the headlugs and the TT decals are per the 1974 Team Pro pictured in the Raleigh catalog. I'll be sending my brochure to Mark B. so he can scan it into his archives.
One thing that is missing which I would like to find is the original Maillard 700 alloy 6spd freewheel. A five speed Suntour unit is on the bike and in the Maillard 700 box that came with the bike is a complete Maillard "Course" five speed freewheel (nice unit but steel) with an additional 6 cogs of various sizes in order to build one that's suits me. It's nice, but not correct. Anyone on the list have an appropriate unit for sale or trade?
Serial number is SB19 - does anyone know if these were sequentially numbered? My bike is clearly an early one and the serial number might indicate that they were in fact sequentially numbered.
Of the extra boxed components that were to come with the bike - no, it did not include lots of NOS Campagnolo stuff. Some NOS boxed toe clips, NOS boxed front derailleur (why?), 6 boxes of black Tressostar tape, 1 Cyclo rivet tool (nice old box art), 2 Sedisport chains, aforementioned saddles plus the Advocet touring saddle as pictured in the auction, Zefal & Silca pumps, 2 TTT Record stems 9one NOS), Suntour NOS gum hoods, numerous boxed 700c tire tubes, a few common Campagnolo and Elgin tools, various Schwinn maintenance items like chain lube, polish, touch up paint etc., and a half dozen Hutchenson tubular tires. Mostly all stuff that I can use but the Schwinn stuff'll go to ebay.
All in all I feel quite lucky and privileged to have acquired such an early, and to my mind, desirable bicycle. I was even worried that maybe she'd arrive and be the wrong size - nope - just right! As excited as many on the list get about other makes, especially Masi, Cinelli, Colnago, etc. I'm as excited and happy about this top tier Raleigh. She's really mine, pinch me! As a teenager this was my lust bike; there were no Masi, etc. importers in downtown Albany, NY. Her geometry looks pretty conservative and the chainstays, while not long, are certainly not short. Might be a very nice ride. The roads are sloppy here so she'll be disassembled soon so I can go through every single piece and clean, rebuild, polish, buff, grease, etc. so she is ready to go for the spring.
If you got this far, thanks for listening and also thanks to those of you that encouraged me to "go for it."
Happy Holiday's to all - no disclaimers here,
Eric Elman
Somers, CT